Automatic control for aircraft



Dec. 1, 1931. P. E. HELMER ET AL AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Sept. 2, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet l Plaza '0 E. Helmer Edward TI Maasz'eoiig A llomey Dec. 1, 1931. P. EJHELMER E1 AL AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Sept. 2, 1950 5 sheets sheet 2 Invenlors Phage E. //Zmer Edward (I Nas sz'cotfe A llomey Dec l 1931. P. E. HELMER E AL AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR AIRCRAFT Filed p 2, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 T L. Q i a Inventors Phz Zzp E. Helmer Edward 1]. liassz'coiie By @Mm -Allorney Dec. 1, 1931. P. E. HELMER ET 1,834,399

Invenlor;

\ p/zz'lz 'a E. Helmer Edwar'd CZ Masszboife By QMw/EM Allomey Dec. 1, 1931. P. E. HELMER ET AL 9 AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Sept. 2, 1950 5 sheetspsheet 5 Inventor;

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Ailomeg Patented Dec. 1, 1931 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PHILIP E. HELMER AND EDWARD J. MASSICO'I'TE, F PINCONNING, MICHIGAN AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR AIRCRAFT Application filed September 2, 1930. Serial No. 479,328.

This invention relates to new and useful I by suitable means while located upon one improven'ients in automatic controls for airend of the plate 6 is the electric motor 11, crafts. driving the armature shaft 12. A bearing The principal object of this invention is to member 13 supports the shaft 14 which is 5 provide an automatic aircraft control cacoupled to the armature shaft 12 as at 15. pable of being shut off when desired to pcr- The opposite end of the shaft 14 being promit manual control. vided with a worm 16 meshing with the half Another important object of the invention gear 17 on the shaft 18 supported by the is to provide an automatic control for airarbor 8.

lo crafts wherein the various controlling CODl- Secured to the straight edge portion of the passes can be adjusted to permit preliminary gear 17 is the transparent tube 19, internally setting. threaded at each end to receive the plugs These and other important objects and ad- 20 and 21, each of which is provided with a vantages of the invention will readily become circular groove at its inner side to receive the 15 apparent to the reader of the following corresponding end of the transparent tube specification. 22. The inner side of the plug 20 is sup- In the drawings plied with a concave surface 23 while the Figure 1 represents the vertical sectional opposite plug 21 has a socket 24 disposed view through the magnetic apparatus for therethrough for receiving a lamp bulb 25 20 controlling the compass direction of the airprovided with the binding posts 26-27. The

craft. space between the tube 22 and the tube 19 Figure 2 represents the vertical sectional is filled with some suitable opaque liquid 28 view through the apparatus for controlling in which the hollow transparent float 29 the elevator of the aircraft. is floatable.

27 F igure 3 represents a diagrammatic view Surrounding the tube 19 and in spaced reladisclosing the electrical connection between t-ion thereto is the jacket 30, split-flanges as the selenium cells of the apparatus shown in at 31-31. A collar or spacer 32 is interposed Figure 2 and the electro-magnetic means for betweeneach end of the jacket 30 and the cor actuating the elevators. responding end of the tube 19. The jacket 30 30 Figure 4 represents a plan view partly in is divided into squares by circumferentially section disclosing the controlling factors for and longitudinally extending ribs 33 and actuating the ailerons of the aircraft. within each square is an opening for register- F ignre 5 represents a longitudinal secing with the lower open end of a shell 34. tional view through the cell supporting jack- These shells 34 form housings for the sele- 35 et of the elevator control. nium cells 35 and each of these shells is pro- 80 Figure 6 represents a. cross sectional view vided with a cap 36 at its upper end suitably through the jacket shown in Figure 5, taken secured thereto and provided with binding substantially on line 6-6 of Figure 5. posts 37 and 38 from which wires 39 lead to Figure 7 represents a sectional view taken the selenium cells 35. There is a selenium substantially on line 77 of Figure 2. cell-within each square of the jacket. In Fig- Fi ure 8 represents a ertical s ctio al ure 3 it can be seen that these selenium cells view through one of the selenium cells. 35 are connected to corresponding electro- Referring to the drawings wherein lik magnet 40 and are grouped in battery circuit numerals designate like parts, reference will 1, each including one of the aforementioned be first made to the apparatus for controlling clcctro-magnets 40. These elcctroanagnets the elevators of the aircraft. This pref- 40 are arranged on arcuate carrier 42 and erably includes a base 5 upon which is located are in electric magnetic relation to the shoe a dielectric plate 6 for supporting the base 7 43 on the arms tl projectingfrom the eleupon which the arbor 8 is secured by elevators 45. Obvlously when the tubes 19 'ments 9. The plate 6 is secured to the base 5 and 22'are tilted, the float 29 wlll ride toward the line point in the liquid thus shifting the movement of the light through the float 29 from one selenium cell to another, obviously changing the inclination of the elevators to return the aircraft to the normal flying position.

Figure 4 discloses three separate factors such as shown in Figure 2. These being gen erally designated by A, B and C. These light sensitive devices are constructed in the same manner as the apparatus shown in Figure 2, with the exception that they are specially arranged for controlling the ailerons of the aircraft. The units B and C are on a platform 46 which is divided with a socket section 47 for receiving the head 48 on the arm 49 projecting from the unit A. A set screw 50 is provided to permit registration of the units together. Obviously, these points are connected to the separate ailerons and control the ailerons individually.

Figure 1 discloses the apparatus for controlling the rudder and consequently the compass direction of the aircraft. This apparatus includes a suitable base 51 upon which the vertically disposed hollow cylinder I 52 is mounted, provided with longitudinally extending and circumferei'itially spaced slits 53 at predetermined spaced intervals. At the outer side of the cylinder 52 and at each slit 53 is a socket structure 54: for receiving a motor electric cell 55, the upper end of this socket being internally threaded to receive a threaded plug 56. The upper end of the cylinder is closed by the lid 57 which has a threaded plug 58 therein.

Extending upwardly through the base 51 and through the concaved body 59 is the hollow post (10 provided with a socket at its upper externally threaded end to receive a lamp 61 which lamp is located within a b0.\"62 having openings 63 therein registrable with a slit 64 and the dome structure 65. Compass graduations 66 are located on the top of the dome 65 and extending axially upwardly from the dome 65 is the hub structure 67 within which therccessed bearing 68 is located. The adjustable needle (30 extending upwardly from the shell 62 engages in the recess of thebcaring 68 for supporting the dome 65. The numeral 70 represents the compass needle through which the threaded shank 71 on the bearing 68 extends. The washer 72 is interposed between the notch 73 on the threaded shank 7'1 and the needle 70.

Conductors 74 extend through the hollow post from the lamp 61. Obviously as the aircraft shifts from its course the needle 70 will hold the dome still while the cylinder 52 moves with the aircraft, thus bringing another slit 53 into registry with the slit 64 so that the light beam from the lamp 61 will strike another motor electric cell 55 to cause a compensating adjustment of the rudder. The rudder will be controlled in substantially the same manner as the elevator is shown controlled in Figure 3, that is, by pre-arranged electro-magnets in separate battery circuits.

It can be seen that the foregoing invention discloses a system for the automatic control of aircrafts which will be substantially foolproof and efficient in substantially all respects. While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size, and materials can be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed herein, and it may be used for the purpose of automatic control of any other mechanical device.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. An aircraft control including an elevator; a double walled tube structure, an opaque liquid interposed between the walls of the tubes, a transparent float in the liquid, selenium cells arranged around the tubes, electro-magnetic circuits including the solenium cells and electro-magnets in electric magnetic relation with the elevator.

2. An aircraft control including an elevator; a double walled tube structure, an opaque liquid interposed between the walls of the tubes, a transparent float in the liquid, selenium cells arranged around the tubes, electro-magnetic circuits including the selenium cells and electrdma-gncts in electric magnetic relation with the elevator, and

means whereby the tube can be predeterminedly set.

3. An aircraft control including an elevator, a double walled tube structure, an opaque liquid interposed between the walls of the tube, a transparent float in the liquid, selenium cells arranged around the tube, electro-magnctic circuits including the selenium cells and electro-magnets in electric magnetic relation with. the elevator, illuminating means within the tube and means whereby the selenium cells are mounted in spaced relation to the said tube.

4. Direction controlling means for aircrafts including a rudder, an electro-magnetic means for changing the position of the rudder, a compass apparatus, said compass apparatus including a lamp, a dome having a slit therein for normally concealing the lamp. said dome being held to a compass position, and an enclosure secured to move with the aircraft, said enclosure being provided with slits therein, and photo electric cells located on the outer side of the enclosure adjacent each of the slits, said photo electric cells being electrically connected with the electromagnetic means adjacent the rudder.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signaturcs.

PHILIP E. HELMER. EDl/VARD J MASSICOTTE. 

